The former governor of Illinois Rod Blagojevich today went to prison to serve a sentence of 14 years for trying to profit from the Senate seat Barack Obama vacated to assume the American presidency.

Blagojevich, 55, arrived Thursday afternoon at the federal prison in Englewood, 24 miles south of Denver (Colorado), after lunch at a local fast food restaurant under the watchful eye of television cameras.

The Democratic former governor was convicted on December 7 of the 18 charges against him, including trying to sell or profit from the ancient seat Obama occupied in the U.S. Senate.

Illinois state law allowed Blagojevich to appoint the new senator and, despite rumors of corruption and the reluctance of the Senate, appointed candidate Ronald Burris, who would later admit that the former governor demanded money in exchange for the seat.

The prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald was reportedly accused of having used his position to raise funds in exchange for signing legislation or award of contracts.

That charge, which joined other for soliciting bribes and mail fraud, led to the resignation of Blagojevich in 2009 and the subsequent opening of the judicial process.

According to federal regulation, Blagojevich will have to meet at least 12 of the 14-year sentence, for that good behavior discount allowed 54 days per year.

On arrival at the prison, the former governor went through a thorough inspection and subsequent psychological and medical evaluation, according to the local station KDVR.

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